Getty Head coach John Beilein of the Michigan Wolverines reacts to a call in the first half during a college basketball game against the Maryland Terrapins.
A lot is on the line tonight as Michigan travels to rival Michigan State (8 p.m. EST, ESPN). One, bragging rights over the Spartans. Two, the Wolverines’ first Big Ten regular-season title since 2014. Three, a step towards the program’s first No. 1 seed since 1993.*
John Beilein has completely resurrected basketball in Ann Arbor. Before he arrived in 2007-08, the program had failed to make the NCAA Tournament since 1998. He has guided the Wolverines to a pair of NCAA Championship Games.
As already mentioned, today is for the conference crown. The Wolverines sport a 26-4 record, including a 15-4 mark in Big Ten play. That’s tied with Michigan State, as both sit just a half-game behind Purdue.
Last time the two faced off, the Spartans broke a 3-game losing streak in the series with a 77-70 victory in Ann Arbor.
With both teams jostling for a high NCAA Tournament seed, let’s take a look at the latest at Michigan’s bracketology outlook, along with its resume and a few key wins and losses that stand out.
Michigan NCAA Tournament Resume
The Wolverines bolted to a 17-0 start on the season. The non-conference featured some absolute gems, including a 27-point rout at Villanova in a rematch of last year’s NCAA Final. A few weeks later, Michigan blasted North Carolina by 17, prompting Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams to say his team sucks.
North Carolina is currently ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll. Other wins over Providence and South Carolina haven’t aged incredibly well, as the two combine for just a 33-29 record.
The Big Ten is the nation’s best conference per Ken Pomeroy. The fact that Michigan and MSU both just outside near first-place is impressive in itself. In the process, the Wolverines ripped No. 11 Purdue (by 19) and topped No. 21 Wisconsin and No. 24 Maryland twice. The only “bad” loss is thereotically Penn State.
While the Nittany Lions are just 13-17, they were the No. 6 team in the country in February. With that context, the blemish is pretty excusable.
Michigan Bracketology Breakdown
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi bestows Michigan with a No. 2 seed in the West Regional in his latest Bracketology. This would send the Wolverines to the Des Moines pod for an opening round matchup with Montana in a rematch of last year’s Round of 64 game. A win there sets up a third-round tilt with either Louisville or Ole Miss.
Michigan and Louisville share some recent history. The Cardinals topped the Wolverines for the NCAA title in 2013, while Moe Wagner willed Michigan to the Sweet 16 in 2017.
Jerry Palm of CBS Sports presents a similar scenario. Michigan would still have the No. 2 seed, except this time the opening round would be against South Dakota State. On the other side of the pod: Louisville and St. John’s.
Bracket Matrix aggregates 92 prognostications from across the internet. Michigan State averages out to a 2.02, which puts them as a 2-seed, with a smattering of brackets calling for either a 1 or a 3.
The road to a No. 1 seed starts tonight, but additional work would remain. While Michigan doesn’t necessarily need to win its third-straight conference tournament, at least 1 win over the likes of Purdue, Wisconsin or MSU could do the trick.
For insurance, North Carolina probably needs to complete its sweep over Duke. Additionally, it would be beneficial for some upsets in the ACC Tournament, particularly with Virginia and/or the Tar Heels.
Beilein and company surely aren’t looking ahead, especially with a treacherous visit to Breslin Center tonight.
*Sanctioned Teams Included